To overcome Europe's deep economic crisis, investment is crucial. But with public finances under severe strain and a limited EU budget, private-sector investment will have to be a key driving force. This report produced by the European Policy Centre – with input from the European Investment Bank and other stakeholders – focuses on analysing stakeholders’ perceptions of the role that Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the just-launched Project Bonds Initiative (PBI) could play in responding to Europe’s current challenges.

There is a marked wariness at EU level about the prospect of Scottish independence. But British-style constitutional thinking on flexibility could prove useful in reducing the bloc's difficulties with asymmetry that motivate its hostility towards Scottish independence, write Roderick Parkes and Arno Engel in this Discussion Paper.

The October European Council was a relatively drama-free stepping stone on the way to a more decisive summit in December. The biggest risk now is complacency: EU leaders need to sign up to an ambitious and detailed agenda for a ‘Genuine Economic and Monetary Union’ at their December meeting, writes Janis A. Emmanouilidis in this Post-Summit Analysis.

The EU could learn a thing or two from China in the Caspian, argues Alexandros Petersen in this Commentary.

A budget for the euro zone?15 October 2012Janis A. Emmanouilidis (Director of Studies) and Fabian Zuleeg (Chief Executive and Chief Economist)

There is little clarity about the key parameters of a potential eurozone budget, including its size and, more importantly, its purpose, ahead of this week’s EU summit, write Fabian Zuleeg and Janis A. Emmanouilidis in this Commentary.